A great difficulty in the operation of articulated vehicles is control of the towed component, particularly while backing. Drivers of large tractor/trailer vehicles develop a high degree of skill in this procedure but only after training and substantial driving experience. However, smaller trailers are widely used by non-professional drivers for diverse purposes, for example, such as towing recreational trailers or small rental trailers and the like. Often these trailers must be backed in to locations which are confined or otherwise limited in size. Many drivers have little or no experience in this procedure and are able to barely maneuvered the trailer during the back up operation. This often can result in property damage and/or an embarrassed driver.
It is an object of this invention to provide a trailer which can be steered while being towed, particularly when being backed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a steering system which can sense the relative position of the towing vehicle to the trailer and to control the steerable wheels of the trailer relative thereto.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a steering system for a trailer which is inactivated when the trailer is moving in a forward direction to allow for normal forward pulling operation.